The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of GARDENIA that is grown as an ornamental evergreen flowering shrub. The new cultivar is known botanically as GARDENIA augusta and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘CROWN JEWEL’.
The new Gardenia variety named ‘CROWN JEWEL’ is the product of a formal breeding program established by the inventor in 1998 at the inventor's nursery in Siler City, N.C. The purpose of the breeding program was to obtain cold-hardy, double blooming cultivars.
‘CROWN JEWEL’ is a seedling selection arising from the inventor's controlled cross-pollination of the Gardenia augusta ‘Kleim's Hardy’ (unpatented) and Gardenia augusta ‘Chuck Hayes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,755). The inventor harvested pollen from the anthers of ‘Kleim's Hardy’ with a cotton swab and deposited it on the stigma of ‘Chuck Hayes’. The seeds were harvested in spring 1999 and transplanted to one gallon containers in summer 1999. ‘CROWN JEWEL’ was selected in June 2000 based on double bloom and horizontal habit.
In comparison with each of its parent varieties) ‘CROWN JEWEL’ differs as follows. Whereas ‘CROWN JEWEL’ is compact and spreading in habit, ‘Kleim's Hardy’ is an upright variety whose height after two years is approximately 60 cm which is 50% taller than ‘CROWN JEWEL’. In addition, the flowers of ‘CROWN JEWEL’ are double in form whereas the flowers of ‘Kleim's Hardy’ are single. In comparison with ‘Chuck Hayes’) ‘CROWN JEWEL’ is more densely branched and bears more flowers. Whereas a 2 year old plant of ‘Chuck Hayes’ typically bears 50-75 flowers, a similarly aged plant of ‘CROWN JEWEL’ bears more than 100 flowers. The flowers of both ‘Chuck Hayes’ and ‘CROWN JEWEL’ are double.
Whilst the parent varieties are the closest varieties of Gardenia known to the inventor within the market class of evergreen flowering shrubs, other varieties of Gardenia have been developed for the greenhouse or indoor potted, floral market. These varieties of Gardenia, which include Gardenia ‘Kimberley’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,189) are typically described as having cold tolerance down to 3 degrees Celsius whereas ‘CROWN JEWEL’ and its parents exhibit cold tolerance of −15 degrees Celsius, or USDA Hardiness Zone 7.
The first asexual reproduction of ‘CROWN JEWEL’ was conducted by the inventor in 2000. The method used for asexual propagation was rooting of stem cuttings using perlite and misting. The characteristics of ‘CROWN JEWEL’ have been determined stable during successive generations of asexual reproductions.